Like Father, Like Son?
by ShootinSta
Summary: Someone from the future is going to meddle with the past, and attempt to ruin his father's life...-*-Update-* !Complete! So sorry this took so long. Reason for such horrible lateness inside. Anyway, enjoy!
1. Chapter One

I don't own _Enterprise_ or anything in the _Star Trek_ universe. Don't sue me, I'm innocent!

I'm not totally sure where I'm going with this story in later chapters…so just bear with me.

*********

            A lone shuttle moved through space, its pilot idly tapping the console in front of him. On a small screen in front of him, a young woman with shoulder-length black hair was having a worried conversation with the man. 

            "You can't possibly think you're going to accomplish anything!" She protested as her eyes shone with concern. She leaned forward to in an attempt to stress her point, "You can't do this."

            The man shook as head as he glanced back at the screen. In part agitation and part annoyance, he moved a hand from the console in front of him so he could run it through his sandy brown hair while he replied. "Come on, Mags, you didn't know what mom was like before he left. It's something I have to do."

            He looked away from the monitor as he stood up to work at another console that had been added into the shuttle. The vessel buckled for a moment, and then was stabilized as the station was activated and a pale blue glow engulfed the shuttle. The woman noticed the change as started talking of her disapproval once again. "You aren't even sure that thing will work! You could end up who knows where. Any number of things could go wrong and I _don't _need to lose my brother right now."

            The young man punched a few more buttons before settling back down at his original position. He cast an exasperated look at the woman that was his sister. "And if something goes wrong, you can say 'I told you so' all you want to."

            "If something goes wrong, you may not be around to say 'I told you so' to."

He cast a cocky smile towards the image, "You've been looking after me for years, Mags. You know I have to do this." 

            "I know, I know. But why?" She stared for several long seconds forward at her brother before continuing, "Why do you have to go on this senseless quest of yours to get back at Dad?"

            "You didn't know him. You just didn't know him _or_ Mom. If you knew them, you'd be doing this, too. You can't convince me to come back and act like nothing went wrong." He paused as he stared off into the space in front of him, before quietly adding on, "You barely knew Mom when she was…happy and healthy. I did."

            A look of resignation had made its way into the woman's soft eyes, along with a few stray tears. "I knew I couldn't talk you out of this insane mission of yours. But please, please be careful. I don't want anything to go wrong. I want to see you again"

            He smiled at his sister, nodding his head. "You'll see me again, so don't think this is some sad suicide mission."

"Isn't it? Strange technology, working with bizarre aliens, going on a raggedy ship…" 

"Sis, I'll be okay. I swear I'll try not to get transporter psychosis or kill myself. But now I gotta go, or else I'll miss my chance. I'm not sure we'll still be around after I get even with Dad, but hopefully all my calculations are right. Mom will be better than ever without him."

            "Just promise me you won't kill him."

            A forlorn look crossed the pilot's face as he shook his head. All the pain of the past fifteen years shone across his features when he murmured his reply. "I can't promise that, sis. There's no way possible I can promise that." 

            She glanced down at the desk in front of her before forcing a smile at her brother. "I'll talk to you later, alright?" 

            "Definitely. See you later, Mags." He closed the connection with a sigh and turned back to his console. His fingers slid over the controls as though he'd been raised around ships all of his life as he worked to start his mission. The distraction of his sister gone, he could work with the real task at hand. It was something he had to do. Every detail had been planned out. _Dad won't know what hit him_…Thought the pilot as he stood up to work with the additional console in the corner.

With the pushing of a few buttons, the shuttle rocked, before a blue-white beam shot from the craft's small deflector dish. Within seconds, a portal burst into the space in front of the vessel.

            The pilot glanced over at his sensors making sure that all was correct. With a small shout of victory, he maneuvered the shuttle into the threshold of what he had created. What he entered would commonly be known as a 'wormhole' in later generations, and this one went straight into 2152, almost thirty years into the past. 

            Charles Tucker IV was going to visit his father.


	2. Chapter Two

            Almost everyone on the bridge was slightly irritated from the almost constant bickering between Commander Tucker and Sub-Commander T'Pol. Ever since the shift had started, the two had argued nonstop. Captain Archer was incredibly close of giving them each a 'time out' for the rest of the day but he had decided that that would undoubtedly lead to even more problems.

            "Captain," the English accent of Lieutenant Reed broke through the current disagreement between engineer and Vulcan. "I'm picking up some…odd readings on sensors."

            Even as he spoke, a swirling multicolored portal opened in front of the ship. Archer ordered Mayweather to stop the ship as he stood up to get a better look at whatever the thing was. "T'Pol, what the hell is that thing?"

              "Unknown, sir. It appears to be some kind of tunnel through subspace." She and Trip had stopped all hostilities when she began staring at the highly anomalous readings in front of her. A brow arched high as she glanced towards Archer. "Captain, something is emerging."

            "Reed, get torpedoes ready," the commanding officer kept his eyes locked on the screen as a small, battered looking vessel emerged from the anomaly. It drifted out rather haphazardly, rolling to the side and back up as if it couldn't get stabilized. Seconds after the shuttle left the rift, the anomaly closed in on itself. When the ship failed to come out weapons firing, Archer glanced at Hoshi Sato. "See if you can hail whoever it is."        

            A few seconds passed before the ensign shook her head. "I'm getting no response."

            "Captain, according to my readings, there is a single person on board," The science officer looked up from her station and stood, hands behind her back and 'brow still raised high in a very Vulcan pose, "Whoever it is appears to be unconscious and also appears to be human."

            "Human? Cap'n, we gotta get that person to sickbay! He could be dyin' for all we know!" Trip swung his seat around to glance at Captain.

            Archer nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Reed, get the grappler online. Once it's securely in the shuttlebay, you and Trip come with me to greet this person. Hoshi, get Phlox down there, too." 

            Trip almost leaped from his seat to meet the others in the 'lift. Reed was already fingering the phase pistol he had ever ready at his side. They all were anxious in their own little way to meet the human visitor.

*********

            The small team of crewmen met in the shuttlebay. Commander Tucker immediately started looking over the seemingly beaten and scarred shuttlecraft.

            "Cap'n, I've never seen a shuttle like this before! It's amazing!" He found a way to open the craft's door, then remaining outside to take scans and tests of the hull and craft itself while the others quickly entered to help the possibly injured pilot. 

            The man was lying crumpled in the front of the shuttle, bleeding from a cut on his forehead. Blood had already dripped into his shaggy, light brown hair, as well as down parts of his face. Other than that, however, he didn't look too badly injured. Still Dr. Phlox knelt down by the young man's side with his medical scanner in hand. 

            "Aside from the gash and a fractured wrist, this young man is perfectly fine. He barely has a concussion at all! Quite astounding, considering the bashing this vessel appears to have taken. The human is such a resilient species…"

            Archer glanced at the Denobulan nodding while he spoke. "It's good he'll be fine doctor. But is there any way you can wake him up?

            "Of course, of course!" Both Reed and Archer stared with souring looks at the doctor for a moment before he started going through his medical yet. "I see, you want me to wake him _now_. Ah…Of course." 

            Within seconds, the man was injected with some sort of medication and had already begun to wake up. One hand moved up to rub the cut on his forehead as he opened his gray-blue eyes. He squinted at the figures above him in confusion before realization seemed to set in. A slight smile came across his face. "Jonathan Archer, Malcolm Reed and Doctor Phlox! I'm actually on the NX-01 _Enterprise_, aren't I?"

            "Yes, you are," Lieutenant Reed said as he looked down at the pilot. "You seem to know our names, but we don't know what yours is yet."

            "Oh, yeah," The man paid careful attention to stressing the slight southern tint to his accent, grinning coyly at the three before stretching out his hand. "The name's Charles Tucker the Fourth. But, I guess you guys can just call me Chase, considering you guys are like an extended family to me."

            The three _Enterprise _officers glanced at each other in uncertainty at the man's name. An instant later, Trip walked into the shuttle, waving around his scanner and saying something about an entirely new alloy that was in the shuttle's hull. He was met with a shout of 'Dad!' by the injured young man, which stopped the engineer dead in his tracks.


	3. Chapter Three

I don't think I like this chapter. But oh well, you win some, you lose some.

I supposed I should update today. Got it all nice and written up. I won't be back for a while, 'cause I'm going to a Star Trek convention. Yeah! Woohoo!

Maybe Trip will be there.…

*********

"Malcolm, I swear I don't have a son!" Trip paced back and forth outside of the sickbay door. His raves about the composition of the shuttle's hull had been long abandoned after hearing the injured man call him 'dad'. The pilot, Chase, was now having his injuries treated and, also, getting a blood test. 

            The armory officer glanced over at the engineer, "It appears that you might, Commander."

            "That guy has got to be in his twenties. I would've had to have been _ten _when I knocked up some girl." He shook his head as he continued speaking, "I _think_ someone would've noticed a pregnant fourth grader wandering around!"

            "I always heard Americans start sleeping around quite young…" Reed murmured, barely suppressing a snicker.

            Tucker glared daggers at the lieutenant as he started stalking in the other officer's direction. "Don't make me whoop your ass, Malcolm."

            Reed's reply was interrupted by the 'swoosh' of the sickbay doors opening. Doctor Phlox stood at the doorway, motioning the two inside. "I ran a few tests, Commander Tucker, and it appears that this man, is indeed your son."

            "What the hell? That's impossible! I can't beli--"

            "There's more information that might come as even more of a shock to you, Commander," Phlox continued, cutting Trip's protest off. "He is also half Vulcan."

            Trip's eyes widened, staring at the doctor while Reed and Archer stared at him. "Now that is bull _shit_! I ain't never screwed around with a _Vulcan!_" 

            "I can explain that," The man on the biobed announced, "You haven't had me yet."

            The engineer blinked, even more confused than he was before. "How is that possible? If you're here, then I've obviously had you already."

            Chase Tucker shook his head as a small grin etched across his features. "Well, I suppose you _have_ had me. Just not quite yet. I'm from about thirty years in the future, 2182."

            "Then why are you here?" Trip was falling farther and farther into bewilderment. He had a twenty-seven year old son who was from the future. It was a concept he couldn't quite accept at the moment.

            Lieutenant Reed murmured half-audibly, "It would appear you have a _time-traveling_ son."

            "It sounds kind of absurd, but I suppose I am a time-traveler. Purely by accident though." He sat up as he tried to explain what had happened, "I was on my way back to my ship in a shuttle, when I was attacked by some sort of marauder. All the sudden this…thing opened up in front of me and just sucked me in. The damage to my ship just made the turbulence seem worse and I guess I knocked my head on something. And then I woke up on _Enterprise._" The man seemed completely truthful in his words, masking the lies he spoke.

            "Ah, can I talk you three in private?" Trip motioned to Reed, Archer and Phlox before quickly moving into the corner. His voice turned into a whisper, "We can't believe him! He's lyin' to us, Cap'n!"

            Archer glanced back at the man on the biobed, shaking his head. "It may be unlikely, Trip, but we have no reason not to believe him. Phlox's tests say he's your son, and I pretty sure there's no way to change your genes."

            "And, might I add," Malcolm interjected, "that the shuttle did show signs of a battle. You yourself saw the scorch marks, Commander."

            Tucker fidgeted, desperate to come up with more to back up his claim. It wasn't very difficult -- the entire circumstance around Chase's appearance were ludicrous. "But how in the world could he travel back in time? And not mention the fact he's half Vulcan. I'm pretty sure that in three years, the Vulcans won't be liking us enough to get hitched to a human!"

            Doctor Phlox chuckled to himself, before saying, "Maybe the two of your weren't married."  

            "Don't even go there. Cap'n, you can't believe that guy! Can't we…send him off on his way or somethin'?"

            "You know I can't do that, Trip. He's staying onboard until we get him back to wherever, or whenever, he came from or until we know he's lying."

            The engineer cursed under his breath, mumbling complaints quietly to himself before he was ushered back to the biobed. The young man was busy examining the various scanners and tinkering around with them. Doctor Phlox obviously wasn't pleased.

            "Did y'know," Chase Tucker said the moment the four returned and waved up a device, "this thing can cause internal bleeding, mental disorders, loss of limbs, and death. It was taken out of medical facilities a decade ago. Started killing thousands of people who came in for minor surgeries…Teeth being pulled, a splinter removed…Hope you didn't use it on me."

            Phlox calmly took the medical apparatus from the young man, setting it back on the table. "Thank you for informing me, Mister Tucker. I assure you, I did not use that on you."

            "Good. Now, have you decided whether you're going to keep me, or just shove me off the ship in an escape pod?"

            Archer glanced at the annoyed engineer beside him before smiling warmly. "I'd like to welcome you aboard the _Enterprise_, Chase. It seems you're here to stay until we can get you back home."

            Chase smiled, nodding his head. That smiled turned into a cocky grin. "Now, I bet you all have some questions you're dyin' to ask. Fire away." 

            The other men in the room glanced at each other, each having a thousand questions themselves. It was Trip that managed to beat them to the punch, though. An almost embarrassed look crossed his face as he asked, "Exactly who was your ma? Should I be looking out for some Vulcan that I'm gonna knock up? Or…ah, were we actually married?"

            "You were married. You probably know her right now, in fact." Chase started speaking, but was cut off by the ship suddenly jerking back and forth. The comm. beeped though, the Sub-Commander's voice coming though from the bridge,

            "Captain, an alien vessel has dropped out of warp. It then proceeded to fire upon us." The ship lurched again, and now it was known what was causing it. Chase jerked up at hearing the voice, listening with an almost eager nature. When she stopped speaking, he sighed, a misty look appearing in his eyes.

            Archer and Reed leapt towards the door, each of them ordering the bridge to fire. Then, the barrage seemed to stop. The ship settled into an eerie sort of serene. 

            "Captain, I report that we now cannot fire upon the alien ship." 

            "Why not, T'Pol?"

            There was a slight pause, "Because the alien ship is no longer there. It has jumped to warp."

            The Captain and Reed quickly made their way off out of sickbay, leaving Trip behind with the doctor and patient. He was about leave, when he turned towards his supposed son. "You never answered my question. Who's your mom?"

            That seemed to shake Chase from his daze. He forced a weak little smile as he responded, "T'Pol."


	4. Chapter Four

I met Dominic Keating.

He called me 'honey'.

…And 'love'…

Envy me!

Review, too.

*********

            "I told you idiots not to come today!" Chase screamed at the screen in front of him. He had been settled into some spare quarters, one where he didn't have to deal with a roommate. He seemed to be talking to some race that looked alarmingly like a Vulcan. "Everything could have been ruined!"

            "My first officer became too excited. I assure you, he is now dead. I will only attack the _Enterprise_ when I was told to."

            Chase drummed his fingers on the table, blue-gray eyes seeming unimpressed with the alien. "And when you board, you know who to attack?"

            "Of course. Commander Charles Tucker the Third. I was told he looks alarmingly like you."

            "And you have to act like you're Vulcans. Is this understood?" The bell on his door rang just after the alien nodded, bringing Chase to quickly close the computer and shove it under the table before shouting a "Come in."

            The door opened, revealing, as the young man should have guessed, Trip Tucker. The engineer walked in, saying a quick 'hello' as he glanced around the bare room. "So, ah, T'Pol?"

            Chase had known he was going to be asked this question. He had tried so hard to prepare himself for it. The only recent memories he had were so heart wrenching he could barely push them from his mind. "Yeah, T'Pol was my mom. You were married to her for…seventeen years, I think." 

            Trip whistled, pulling up a seat by his son. Disbelief shone in his eyes, and the younger man knew he would have to do some more convincing. "Seventeen years, huh? I'm surprised I didn't go nuts. How did that…come to be?"

            "About a year and a half from now, T'Pol will come down with a disease rare in younger Vulcans that starts to degrade neural pathways. In order to cure it, you have to do a mindmeld with a family member, or in your case, friend." Chase glanced up, seeing the confusion in his father's eyes. "Y'see, a mindmeld joins two people's minds. You managed to cure T'Pol, but she wasn't used to the technique. All of the…chaos in your mind made her Vulcan ideals impossible to go back to, so she embraced a more human outlook on life. You were married six months later, and a year down the road came me."

            A strange look crossed Trip's face as he nodded. "And seventeen years? Don't tell me I died. That'll put a real dampener on my next eighteen years."

            "You didn't. She did."

            "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know. Err.." Trip's eyes widened as he tried to apologize for his joke. He hadn't exactly expected to hit so close to the truth. "That must have been hard on you."

            Chase nodded, staring at the flooring. _You didn't give a shit, though_. He thought to himself, bringing to life bitter memories. He couldn't believe he was talking to this bastard. Right now he seemed like his father, but seventeen years from now all of that would change. He'd never want to be called a Tucker again…

            "So, you in Starfleet?" _Of course,_ Chase grumbled in his mind as Trip asked a new question, _change the subject. Typical Dad._

            But he may as well humor the old man, "Yeah. I'm a lieutenant, junior grade. Being the son of Admiral Tucker helps you to rise up in the ranks."

            A grin crossed the engineer's face at the mention of 'Admiral' Tucker. He stood up, starting to head towards the door. "Nice talking to you, Chase. I'll see you later, probably."

            The door shut behind him and Chase brought his computer back out. He'd have to send another signal to piggyback on random interference as he talked to the mercenaries once again. Chase Tucker had a lot to do in order to teach his father a lesson.

((Shorter chapter. Ick. But…Little Chase is quite a bitter fellow, is he not? Heh.))


	5. Chapter Five

Okay, I know where I'm going with this fic.

But I have no earthly idea how to get there. We may have a few bad chapters…I'm also resorting to flashbacks. 

Be kind, yes?

*********

            Chase was eating by himself, finally having some peace and quiet. It was midnight and he was only now getting a chance to have supper. All day he'd been mobbed by people asking him what the future was like, what it was like to be Trip Tucker's son, his life's story, what happened to them twenty years from now…the list went on. All of it was agonizing. How could he tell them that his life wasn't all happy and wonderful? How could he tell crewman Cutler that, in his timeline, Orion Razor Karks had killed her while she was trying to liberate a group of slaves?

            He couldn't. Instead he had to tell them that thirty years from now, the future was ten times better than it was now, that it was _wonderful _being Trip Tucker's son and his life was something out of a fairy tale. Cutler even had three kids, a grandchild and a happy marriage. It was almost pleasant to think everything was fine and dandy, rather than what it had been for him… 

*

            _Chase had come home from school, carrying with him a huge contraption, it looked almost like it would be straight out of an old science fiction novel with knobs and buttons and levers all over it. A blazing blue ribbon was pinned to the item, and the boy was grinning like an idiot. He'd run straight from the bus to the door of their two-story home, tripping three times and dropping his invention even more. _

_            He'd torn into the house and straight into the living room, where his parents normally were at this time of day. But they weren't there. Chase's mad dash was only slowed slightly as he looked into his garage to look for his father, before dashing into the kitchen. The sight of his mother stopped him dead in his tracks. _

_            It looked like she almost hadn't gotten out of bed. She was normally very well groomed, always keeping those Vulcan beliefs with her. But today…it just wasn't so. She was sitting at the breakfast nook, a cup of ice-cold green tea in her hands, still in her robe. The boy could tell, even though she didn't look up at him, that her eyes were red and bloodshot. _

_            "Momma? Where's Dad? I got first place for my project!" Worry clouded his mind as he spoke, still somehow retaining his excitement. Maybe she just didn't get enough sleep last night. Yeah, that could cause that ashen look to her normally bright face…_

_            She glanced at her son only for the briefest moment, repressed tears glimmering in her eyes. "He's not here, sweetie. He's not here."_

_            "But…I won! Blue ribbon, see, Momma?" He trotted up a little closer, his grip loosening on his now prized possession. "Dad helped me build it. He helped with the design, and got all the parts I needed. He said that he wanted to see it when I won first prize, 'cause he knew it was gonna win! He's s'posed to be here…" _

_            "Sweetie, he's not here."_

_            The ten-year-old didn't understand. His father was always home when he got out of school, unless there was a meeting or he was stuck at work, and he always told his son if that was going to happen. "But, I got first place. He wanted to see the ribbon he knew I'd get! He's gotta be here."_

_            An angry look blazed in his mother's eyes for the briefest instant, before returning to a dull and grief-stricken haze. She looked away, her voice hushed and almost inaudible as she whispered, "He's gone. Your daddy's never coming back, either."_

_            His invention crashed to the ground._

*

            "Can I sit here?" A feminine voice snapped Chase from his daze. He didn't really know how long he'd been staring at those stars whirring by, you could never really tell time in space… He glanced up at the woman talking to him, taking in the sight. Black hair, Asian heritage…

            "Hoshi Sato." He stated with finality the moment he remembered who it was -- which didn't take long. Hoshi always had been his favorite out of all his father's friends. Hell, he even had a crush on her all through his teen years. It was his dream to see her when she was his age, perfect for dating. That wasn't going to happen now, though. He had more important business. "Yeah, you can sit here."

            She sat across from him, padd and a cheesecake in her hands. "Thanks. I won't bother you too much. Every time I saw you today you had at least one person battering you with questions."

            Chase was grateful. But, as he could recall, Hoshi always had been like that around him. Around everyone really. Sensitive, almost attuned to everyone's feelings. At least, she was like that ten and twenty years from now. "Thanks. One more question about how the future turns out and I think I'll kill someone."

            "So, how does the future turn out for me?" A mocking look appeared in her soft eyes as she spoke. He'd never seen a humorous side to Ca--Ensign Sato.

            "Oh, you go off and marry and alien. You were killed in some ritual after you had your first son. The entire tribe actually _ate _you, everything but your heart and fingernails. Those they gave to the fertility god. I hear there were twelve babies born in the tribe that year. You're a legend on that planet." He jested back, feeling glad to finally be able to relax. Take his mind off his father; take his mind off what he'd come to _Enterprise _to do. 

            Hoshi forked a piece of cheesecake into her mouth before chuckling. _God, she looks gorgeous, _a stray thought ran across his mind. Her words managed to chase it away. "I always wanted to go down in history." She said, before her voice took a sudden and serious turn, "You know, I haven't seen you with Trip at all. I bet he has questions of his own, probably more than just if he's rich and famous in thirty years."

            _Probably not._ Reality rushed back to him."I just haven't gotten time to even look at engineering, let alone visit with people. I have to spend a lot of my time hiding out."

            She didn't look convinced, but didn't say another word. For several long minutes, she sat there, reading through the padd. Chase tried desperately to think of something else that could make it sound like he really _was_ busy, and that he just couldn't poke his head out into the questioning mobs to see his father. But he couldn't think of a good argument. Finally, she got up to leave.

            "Thanks for letting me sit here, Chase. I'll see you later."

            "Wait." He had to get one last question in. "Is…Is my father a good friend?"

            Hoshi paused, glancing curiously at the man before she nodded. "He's one of the best. He sticks up for me, is Archer's best friend. He even managed to get Malcolm to come out of his shell a little bit." She smiled, "So yes, he's a good friend. 'Night Chase."

            And she left him. He sat alone in the dimmed mess hall, staring out into the stars as he, for the first time, doubted why he had come to see his father. He ignored the feeling of uncertainty rising up in him, returning to his food. Hoshi was lying, he believed, she just wanted to make Trip out to be a good guy in front of his son. Yeah, that was it…


	6. Chapter Six

I think I'm working out what I'm doing in this story…Nifty, eh?

And Trip isn't _evil. _You'll find out later why poor little Chase is so angry with him. In my mind, he really was a good guy… 

*********

            "So, Chase, what do you think of the ship so far?" Archer asked, momentarily ignoring the food on his plate.

Chase had been herded into a dinner with the Captain, T'Pol and Trip. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but how could he turn the offer down? Say 'no thanks, I'd rather not eat dinner with my mother and father'? That would get a few funny looks… "It's just like I remember it. _Enterprise _was still in service when I was born, even a few years after. It was turned into a museum when I was seven, though. Went as often as possible." He smiled sincerely, pausing to take a bite of some of the broccoli on his plate. "There are some things I've read about the warp core that bother me, though."

Right on cue, Trip glanced up from his meal, almost choking on his food. "What's wrong with my warp core? That baby's the best in all of Starfleet!"

"Not in thirty years. We actually have an engine that can reach warp seven." _I just won't mention that _you _helped to create it. _"I can probably spruce up this core a little. Make it a little less likely to breach. Hell, I might even be able to get the ship to hit a smooth warp four-point-eight without it overheating."

Trip's fork clattered to the plate. His gray-blue eyes lit up as he thought about the possibility. "How long would that take?"

"Under a day. I'd need to take the warp drive offline, and the weapon's systems. I'll need to do some rewiring of the two systems to make 'em more efficient." 

Chase had the Captain's blessing, and his father's. Anything to make the ship even better, they said. The younger man was quiet the rest of the dinner, only making polite conversation and asking questions about himself and his plans for the warp core. But, he was too busy making his own plots unfold. So far, so good.

*********

Reed was outraged when he learned that _his _weapons system had to be taken offline. "With all due respect, Captain, we don't even know for sure Mister Tucker is telling the truth! He could be a Suliban or some other alien trying to destroy _Enterprise_!"

"Malcolm, the Doctor would have detected that Chase was Suliban. He also assured us that the weapons won't be off for more than three hours, then you can start shooting things out of space again." Archer's voice had a hint of annoyance in it. The armory officer had been complaining the moment he found out the news -- which hadn't been long after Trip had run from the dinner, telling his entire engineering staff what was happening. After that moment, conspiracy theories and excuses were shooting from Reed's mouth.

"I analyzed the weapon's fire on the hull of his ship. They seem to be made by phasers, and in a _pattern_, which I find to be rather odd for alien marauders." Malcolm was growing more desperate as his chances to keep his weapons online diminished, "And I found a console in the shuttle itself that I know is not part of any standard Starfleet vessel."

T'Pol's eyebrow rose as she glanced at the man, turning away from her station. The entire argument she had been listening quietly, paying no notice to the two until now. "That shuttle is from thirty years in the future. I doubt that it would have the same equipment that we have now."

"I agree. It'll only be three hours, Malcolm. The chances of meeting a hostile alien vessel in that period of time are slim." Archer responded. His tone held a strong finality and the armory officer knew better than to delve any further. With a grunt, Reed went back to his work. He didn't know just how likely it was to be attacked within those three hours.

*********

Chase was back in the peace and quiet of his own quarters. He needed to be alone before he had to go work with his father in engineering. His disappointment had been mounting as he learned that Trip wasn't like he remembered. That instead, he seemed kind, eager, and as Hoshi had said, appeared to be a good friend. He stared down at a padd, trying so desperately to keep his anger intact.

_Dear Chase,_

_Sorry that I can't be there. T'Pol was my wife, after all. But Isabelle's ship was attacked, and well, I'm stranded near Tau Ceti. The shuttlebay doors have been fused shut, and the nearest ship is two days away. I really wish that I didn't have to leave you alone right now, but I have no choice. Malcolm, Hoshi and Jon said that they'd all be there and I know how you've always adored them. _

_Listen, Chase, I really wanted to be there. I haven't seen you in person in nearly four whole years, and you never want to talk to me. I was hoping that this could be my chance to make up for what I did to you, your mother and Maggie. Once I can get off this ship, I'll come and see you and your sister. It might be too late for your mother's funeral, but at least I'll get to see you. I'm sorry, son, for not being there. And not just for the funeral, but for the past six years. _

_And this time, when I come, I won't bring Isabelle. _

_Love,_

_Your father_

The old letter didn't have its desired effect. Instead of rage, all that Chase could muster up was sadness. He refused to acknowledge the awful feeling that he'd been fight for the last ten years of his life. Instead, he tapped a button on his computer.

"I've been waiting for your communiqué for an hour! Are you running into problems, human?" A Vulcan-looking face appeared on the screen. 

Chase shook his head, not once betraying the feelings of confusion that he felt. "No. You'll need to arrive tomorrow. Keep your sensors on the ship. The moment that the warp core and weapon's system go offline, you'll need to come. I can only wait three hours, otherwise they may catch on to me."

"Very well, human. And I will send the bulk of my boarding party to engineering?"

"Exactly. The moment I teach my father a lesson, you'll be free to leave. You already have the majority of my payment, and I expect you to keep our contract."

The alien nodded his head with a brief a smile. "Of course. My ship will be there." The image cut off, leaving Chase to wonder about his action alone. He hated that feeling of loneliness that had suddenly come up upon him. Usually, he'd have Maggie to talk to in moments like these, but she hadn't even been born yet. So now he decided to go speak with the next best thing -- Hoshi Sato. 


	7. Chapter Seven

And now…we learn some of why Chase is so darn bitter!

And a flashback, because, they're just, like, so cool.

*********

            _A fourteen-year-old Chase stood just inside the doorway of his mother's room, watching her quietly. She was scrambling around, writing things on the walls, mumbling to herself about the past. The boy glanced up at the man standing next to him, a pained look glimmering in his eyes, "Dad, I'm not sure this is a good idea. She's really not doing well."_

_            "I have to talk to her, Chase. Maybe she'll understand." Trip stared towards the Vulcan, running a nervous hand through his hair. _

_            Chase slowly walked into the room, kneeling down beside his mother. Her head jerked up with a snap, cocking her head as she glanced at the young man in front of her. A smile appeared on her lips as she placed a hand of Chase's face, "Is it time for dinner already? You are early… We do not normally eat dinner until later. Is Maggie with you? Where is she?"_

_            "It's not time for dinner, Mom. Dad's here." He bit his lip as confused look crossed his mother's face. "Trip. Trip's here, Mom."_

_            Her eyes seemed to light up as her hands moved to grip her son's hands. Happiness spread across her face like wildfire. "Trip? Finally, finally he has come back!"_

_            "I'm here, T'Pol." The voice that was silent for much of the conversation finally intruded. "So is Isabelle." The woman that had been almost unnoticeable reluctantly stepped inside the room also. T'Pol took one glance at the woman and began scrambling wildly backwards._

_            "No! You are not here with her! You are here to come back! Back to your children! You are not here with her!" The Vulcan began screaming at the top of her lungs, thrashing wildly even though Chase and Trip tried to calm her down. Fifteen long minutes later, the small group finally was able to leave T'Pol sedated in the room._

_            Chase's blue eyes glared daggers at his father. For two years since his father left, T'Pol's mental condition had steadily been going downhill. Now Trip brought his girlfriend to see her? "How dare you come back here. How dare you come back with _her!" __

_            "Chase, Isabelle didn't do anything…"_

_            "But you did!" Chase snapped, cutting his father's words off. "You left Mom to be like this! You left Maggie without a father! She barely even knows who you _are _and I have to raise her! All so you could run off with some woman five year younger than you!"_

_            Pain as etched across Trip's face as he stared at his son. His eyes slowly drifted towards the ground as he replied, "You have to understand, Chase. Your mother and I were havin' problems. I didn't love her anymore."_

_            "You didn't love me, either! Or Maggie! Just get out and never come back!" Chase has been pushed to the edge of hysterics, wildly screaming at his father and the woman with him, "I hate you! Just go!"_

_*_

Chase had been standing at the door to Hoshi's quarters for fifteen minutes. He was trying to figure out what he was going to say in a way that wouldn't tell that he was going to have the ship attacked. The right words just wouldn't come to mind, and he had waited long enough. He gritted his teeth, reluctantly pushing the small console next to the door. 

            And there she was, in her pajamas and with her tied back in a sloppy bun. She looked like she was almost ready to go to bed, and that's when Chase realized how late it was. He started backing up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up…"

            "It's okay. I was just translating some things." He was relieved to find that Hoshi wasn't upset with him. She smiled, stepping back from the door, "Come on in."

            Gratefully, Chase stepped into her quarters, running a distracted hand through his hair. He needed to get some of these things off his chest and make sure he was doing the right thing. "Can we talk?"

            She nodded, pulling up a chair and sitting down. She motioned to a nearby seat, cocking her head in curiosity. "Okay. What about?"

            "The other day…when you wanted to know why I wasn't talking to Trip, I lied." She didn't seem surprised by the revelation, only nodding as he spoke. Chase paused for a few long seconds, trying to sort out the words in his head as he sat down. "He…he left my mother when I was ten. I never realized that their marriage was breaking up until it was too late. About a month after the divorce too late. Mom started going insane, because the mindmeld with Trip had left her so close to him, and she couldn't stand to see him gone. I barely saw Trip over the next four years, because he'd met up with Captain Isabelle Walker and fell in love with her, so he went on a lot of deep space missions.

            "But one day when I was fourteen, he dropped by with her. It was a bad idea from the beginning. Maggie, my sister, ran into her room the moment she saw Isabelle and didn't come out. Then Trip introduced her to Mom…and it just all fell apart. Mom went even further to her mental regression, and the visit ended with me screaming at him. I didn't even talk to him again." Chase didn't know why he was telling Hoshi all this. But, she was listening patiently, eyes showing pity and concern for the young man in front of her. "Four years later, Mom died...And Trip was on a deep space mission with Isabelle. He didn't even come to the funeral…"

            The linguist reached to gently grab onto Chase's hand, "I'm sure he wanted to be there. The Trip I know isn't cruel and cold-hearted. I _know _he would have been there." She paused, smiling lightly in reassurance. "Maybe you should talk to Trip about all this. Get to know him again."

            "It's just hard to see him again…" Chase bit his lip, standing up from the seat and walking to the door. He wasn't sure if he had made the right choice telling Hoshi all of this. Now she'd no doubt tell his father...but it didn't matter. The next morning, his plan would be in action. "Thanks for listening to me ramble. Maybe I will talk to him." 

            And he left, wishing that he had Maggie to talk to. Wishing that she could tell him what he should do. After all, she knew the whole story. She knew how it ended. He couldn't tell Hoshi what would happen just weeks after T'Pol's funeral on the day that Trip was to arrive to see his son and daughter after four long years. He didn't want that kind of pity. 

            Entering his quarters, Chase once again turned on his computer. Setting a specific recording to play, he lay down in bed in an attempt to get some measure of sleep before he worked with his father the following morning.

            A picture of Jonathan Archer appeared on the screen, "Chase, Maggie… It's Jon. The ship your father was on was attacked again while coming to Earth from Tau Ceti. I hate to tell you this…" And that's where Chase Tucker stopped listening. He just shut his eyes as tightly as he could, blocking out the news his father's long-time friend told him nine long years ago. 


	8. Chapter Eight

Woo! Sorry this took me so long. School's bogging me down. Did you know algebra is _really _hard? Homework City.

Hoshi's a little nosy. It's needed, though.

I'm really not a fan of this chapter. It's like, bad. I'm so sorry!

But, it's one of the last ones, so you won't have to suffer through this fic for long.

*********

            "How long are all the upgrades gonna be takin'?" Trip asked as he jumped from one of the ladders in engineering section. The engineer had been running around like a lunatic the entire morning, and Chase found himself wondering if his father had always been so energetic and eager. It had, after all, been at well at least decade and a half since the two actually had a conversation in person.

            "Five hours, probably. Like I said, the warp core and weapons will have to be offline for two or three hours so I can reroute some of the circuitry. Then we'll just need a couple hours to fix everything up." Chase replied as he climbed up the stairs to the warp core. He couldn't understand how Trip did that so much -- the steps were damn steep.

His father said something he didn't catch, as the younger man was more interested in setting his plan into motion. He continued to doubt his actions, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Trip had left, allowing his mother to go insane and his life to be thrown into chaos. _I won't kill him...I'll just scare him so he won't leave mom..._Maggie _didn't want me to kill him. _It was all Maggie's idea to keep Trip alive. And there was the fact that he would never exist if his father died before he was born…

            Chase's concentration was broken when he felt a tap on his shoulder, and whirling around, he was suddenly face-to-face with Trip. The engineer grinned, "You zoned out on me for a sec. When are we gonna be cuttin' off the weapons and my engines?"

            "I can right now. Then we can get the work started." There was no turning back now. No turning back at all as he watched his father call up to the bridge to tell them the upgrades were about to get underway. No turning back as he worked with his father to shut down the two systems. 

            It would only be a matter of time before his mercenaries dropped their cloaks and began attacking _Enterprise. _There was no turning back.

*********

Hoshi found herself walking towards Chase's room. After he had told her what had happened, she couldn't get some questions out of her mind. Why had he never talked to Trip again? Even now, Starfleet had ways of communicating from deep space, and after nine years, Trip would probably want to talk to his son. Was their falling out actually that horrible? The ensign found it hard to believe.

            Reaching the door, she pushed the controls and waited. She chewed on her lip as she wondered if he'd started the repairs early. The linguist pushed the button once more and the doorway slid open. A glance towards the panel told her she'd hit the wrong button.

            "Chase?" No answer, "Are you in there?" _He must already have gone down to engineering..._ Every moral in her body told her to back from the doorway and talk to him later, but her curiosity got the best of her and instead of walking away, she invited herself inside. She was an explorer after all, no matter how new she may be at the job. 

            There was nothing remarkable inside his quarters, making Hoshi feel even more ashamed of her intrusion. A few pictures were set up, showing Chase with a dark-haired young woman that she assumed was his sister. But, other than that, there was nothing to clue in anything about Chase's past or personality. No pictures of him with Trip, or him with T'Pol. Her eyes swept the room one last time as she started to back out. 

            That was when she noticed his computer. Captain Archer was on the screen, aged at least a decade or more and looking incredibly solemn. The linguist inched over to the computer, finger hovering over a key to play whatever message Chase had of her captain. She'd already entered his quarters and looked around, how could hurt to play a private message. Her conscience nagged her to stop where she was and leave. _But what if the captain just so happens to be talking in an alien language? Then it's my _duty _to translate it. _However implausible that was, she still found herself playing the message.

"Chase, Maggie… It's Jon. I know that Trip was coming to visit with you two, but I have some horrible news. The ship your father was on was attacked again while coming to Earth from Tau Ceti. I hate to tell you this...but Trip's dead." The words were painfully articulated, as if practiced over and over so he wouldn't choke up on this most distressing of messages. "The ship was destroyed and we found your father dead in an escape pod. The doctors at Starfleet Medical couldn't revive him, and they say he died of massive internal injuries."

"I know this must be hard on you two. You just lost T'Pol, and now Trip's gone, too. I'll be there to give you all the support that I can, and Malcolm and Hoshi have already been informed of the news. We'll all be here for you, so you know you won't be alone. He was our friend and your father, and we'll miss him terribly. Just know you're not alone."

Hoshi stared in horror as the message ended. So that was why Chase and Trip hadn't talked again, Trip had _died. _She couldn't believe that such a thing could have happened. It must have been so hard for Chase to be back in the presence of his dead father, it was no wonder that he had barely spoken to him. 

She knew that she should leave. But as she watched the screen in disbelief, a new message, just received appeared in strange lettering. The words look familiar, and she realized with a shock that they she'd recently translated those very words when they'd been in that minefield. The Romulans were contacting Chase, and they clearly said that the attack was underway.

((Nope, not the best. But at least I updated it! Y'gotta be a _little_ bit proud!))


	9. Chapter Nine

If you think this chapter is corny, to decrease some of that feeling, imagine yourself as Chase: Broken home, had a mom that was insane, dad died before he had a chance to see his son again. 

It'll make sense then. It did for me, anyway.

*********

            "Hoshi! What are you doing down here?" Chase's eyes widened in shock as the linguist burst into engineering. She wasn't supposed to be here. If the mercenaries did anything he hadn't told them to, she could get hurt. Other innocent people could be hurt. "You shouldn't be down here."

            "Chase, listen to me. Whatever you're doing, don't." She was out of breath from her apparent sprint to engineering, but that wouldn't stop her from persuading the young man to stop what he was planning. "I know what happened to Trip. I saw a message from the Romulans. You can't do this, Chase. You can't."

            Chase's stomach knotted up. Hoshi knew about everything? It seemed impossible. But if she was aware of the Romulans, then she wasn't lying. His plan had backfired, completely and totally. "I can do this, Hoshi. You don't know what I've been through..."

            "I know your parents died. I know your mother went insane. I know everything that has happened must have been hard on you, but you _can't _do this. If _Enterprise _is attacked and people die, you'll have even more to regret."

            "You _don't _know, Hoshi! My life has been a living _hell! _Mom died and every day before that happened, she ranted about Dad. She tried to figure out what went wrong, down to every last detail that happened. She tried so hard to get him back that she went _insane, _Hoshi. I had to take care of her and Maggie, I couldn't have a normal _life _I was so caught up in keeping them safe and happy. Then Dad brought Isabelle, and that certainly didn't help Mom, or anything else. He found someone that wasn't Mom. I screamed at him. I told him I hated him."

            The linguist walked slowly forward, gently taking a hold of Chase's hand, seeing how hurt he was. Those emotional scares had never healed fully over. "You didn't mean it. I'm sure he realized that. He didn't mean to make things worse by bringing Isabelle, Trip isn't like that."

            Chase ran one hand through his hair, staring off at a faraway bulkhead. "I was fourteen. I couldn't understand that. And through the years I just started _hating _him. I imagined him as some monster that didn't care for his own kids, didn't care about anything but himself. God, even Maggie knew better. She actually talked to him." He gnawed on his lip, glancing at Hoshi while he continued, "I didn't. At first, every week he tried to contact me. Then a few times a month...and I never responded. I just stared at the messages and cursed him. Mom kept getting worse, and I blamed it all on _him_."

            "So what happened? The message on your computer said that Trip was coming back to Earth. Did you finally talk to him?" Hoshi's voice was calm, understanding. She always was like that. The two people closest to him in the universe were always Hoshi and Maggie. He could _talk _to them.

            "When Mom died, Dad sent a message saying he couldn't make it. It crushed me, thinking that he was the only parent that I had left. Maggie, she decided that it had been long enough since we'd been a family, and they set a date for us to meet. When I found out, I was so angry with her, but I decided that maybe, just maybe, I wanted that: a real family." His gray-blue eyes closed. A long breath was exhaled as he thought of the next events, ones that pushed him over the edge. "Then he went and died. Both my parents were _gone _in just a month. I had wanted to reconcile things so bad. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry I had hated him so much. And he had died. I couldn't forgive him for leaving me again. Up until now, I spent my time plotting how I'd get him back. How I'd scare him into not ever leaving Mom. We'd be a family, and neither of them would be dead.

            "So I came here. I compiled all the information I could find on time travel, and I did it. I came here to stop Dad from ever leaving Mom. I'd show him what would happen if he left her, and he _wouldn't_. He wouldn't leave her, she wouldn't go insane, and he wouldn't die. He wouldn't leave me without a father."

            Hoshi cocked her head, her face showing a look of confusion. "How would having someone attack _Enterprise _accomplish that? What if Trip decided he wouldn't ever marry T'Pol? What if he was killed?"

            "I tried to make sure he wouldn't die. I told the Romulans not to fire on anyone. I tried so hard to make everything perfect." He ran a hand through his hair once more, shaking his head. "But when I got here, he seemed so different. As much as I tried to hate him, I couldn't ignore that he was eager, charismatic, and energetic. You said he was a good friend, and I just couldn't ignore it. And now here we are, my master plan almost played out and you come in here like some heroine. And now I can't do it. You know, he knows. And I'll never be able to live with myself if something goes wrong."

            The ensign's hand clutched the young man's more tightly, as a glance was thrown at Commander Tucker. "Sir, I suggest you put weapons and engines back online. Then I think it would be wise to get out of here."

            The dumbstruck engineer nodded slowly, fingers racing across the nearby console as he did as he was told. He didn't know what had just happened in his engine room -- but he knew that it was big enough to warrant listening to the ensign. He pushed a button on the comm panel, "Cap'n, I suggest we get to warp as soon as possible. Get back on course."

            "Trip? What's going on?"

            "I can't quite explain it, Cap'n. I just think you should listen to me."

            "Alright, Trip. We'll get back on course." 

Trip moved away from the panel, turning his gaze to Hoshi and Chase. "You mind tellin' me what just happened here? We're gettin' the upgrades underway, and all the sudden, it's an after school special! What the hell are you two talkin' about?"

Chase shook his head towards Hoshi, who could only offer a half-smile toward the Commander. "I think there are some things best left unsaid, Trip. You'll figure it out sooner or later. Right now, I think you and Chase have some catching up to do."

Much to both father and son's dismay, the linguist stood up, giving Chase a final reassuring pat before walking from engineering. The two men stared at each other, before following after her. Hoshi seemed to know what she was talking about.

*********

Later that morning, Trip and Chase both sat in the mess hall eating catfish. The two had been there for an hour, just talking. Chase felt closer to his father than he had in the last decade and a half -- and he technically wasn't even born yet. 

"So, tell me about Maggie. She a nice girl?" Trip asked, just before stuffing his mouth full of catfish.

Chase grinned, nodding his head in response. "She's great. A lot like you, actually. Coming from a family as screwed up as ours didn't phase her a bit. She's smart, enthusiastic, optimistic. One helluva cook…"

((I have one more chapter...Then we should be done. I'm actually satisfied with this chapter, which is really something to say. Yup, Chase did go a little over the top with all of it, but somehow...it just seems to fit him. Maybe I just like him. Hope you readers don't think I did too terrible a job. If I did, oh well...))__


	10. Chapter Ten

Eheheh. I thought I'd finished this fic. Shows how much I pay attention, huh?

Anyway, now it's _really _done. I might revise in the future, but for now...complete! Be so happy and proud of me.

I didn't want to have a nice, clean 'I love ya, Dad' ending. That's so cliché. So, it's close, but not quite...

**********

            Chase was leaving. He'd made sure he'd said all of his good-byes well in advance and was now on his way home. He'd see Maggie, and he'd be able to tell her about everything that had happened. She'd be glad that he didn't go through with any of his master plan. 

            He still couldn't find himself able to forgive Trip for all he'd done. But couldn't bring himself to hate the man, either. It was odd how those things worked. You spend so much time trying to think one way, and you end up confused and disorientated about everything. But now at least he knew Trip and knew that he was a decent guy after all, rather than some cold-hearted jerk that would abandon his children. It was wonderful, truly wonderful, to be able to think of his father in a different light.

            So why couldn't Chase forgive him completely? He knew that Trip wasn't evil, but he still couldn't get over a decade of hatred. Maybe in another decade he'd actually be able to adore his father, like Maggie did. Maybe.

            His fingers flew across the panel before him, and the shuttle was once again engulfed in an aura of electricity, it's deflector opening the wormhole he needed to get back home. He stared at _Enterprise _for what seemed like ages, going over the past few days in his mind. 

            His journey here hadn't been for nothing. He'd learned things he never had known about his father. His favorite food, favorite ice cream, what his own family was like... In a way, he felt like he'd come home so many years ago and actually got to show his father his blue ribbon. 

            And as Chase disappeared into that wormhole, he actually felt content with his life for the first time in ages. 

((I love Chase. I don't want to give him up. O.o I'm going to attempt to find a way to bring him back in another fic, because I just plain **love **the kid. 

On another note, review, please. I'd like to hit forty... and I'd like to see if you guys thought this was crap.))


End file.
